1/3/10

Rabbi Riskin is doing kooky things again. It's okay - a rabbi can say that about another rabbi. Let's go back and recall...last year...

In June 2008 Rabbi Steven Riskin got measured for the garments.

Let's just stipulate for the record that the idiomatic coinage of the phrase "got measured for the garments" originated here in this blog.

What does that phrase connote, you ask?

That dear friend is open to interpretation. Some would say "got measured for the garments" is the defining moment when an Orthodox Jewish rabbi goes public that he truly believes the literal narrative of his faith -- all of it.

Others would counter that "got measured for the garments" is the unfortunate turn of the corner for the Orthodox Jewish believer who has either (to use some old school jargon) "gone off the deep end" or "lost his remaining marbles."

It is a fervent expectation of many Israeli religious leaders that the Third Temple may soon become fact. The Temple Institute this week commenced a workshop to create the priestly garments worn by those chosen to serve as priests in the Temple.

Efrat Chief Rabbi Shlomo Riskin was fitted for garments on June 29.

He said: “Our prayer certainly is that the Third Temple must come. From a Jewish perspective twice the Bible deals with destructions and exiles in the Book of Leviticus and then the Book of Deuteronomy and those two destructions we have experienced. Then will come a return as Deuteronomy 30 says very clearly, ‘Even if you are scattered to the end of the heavens from there the Lord will gather you up and restore you to the Land of your fathers.’

“And then we believe there will be a Third Temple to which all the nations of the world will come in order to learn about a God of peace and love and compassion and morality.”

As far as the Third Temple is concerned Rabbi Riskin told me, “This is the time. This is the era!”

Riskin said he would buy the garments if the Temple was not completed by this time next year. He said the building is delayed as Israel waits for a prophet to identify the exact location for the altar.

He agreed there were some political difficulties and differences to overcome. Rabbi Riskin said he hoped to wear the garments at times like Passover and Yom Kippur.